Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Auction Talk => Topic started by: LarryInMichigan on March 03, 2010, 12:20:37 PM

Title: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: LarryInMichigan on March 03, 2010, 12:20:37 PM
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110500842989 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110500842989)

When I saw this, the current bid was low, so I entered a slightly higher bid just for fun.  I really expected the phone to go for much more.

This phone has an AE dial and a different style handset than my other red bar (which is a converted Select-o-phone).  Overall, it looks to be in excellent condition.  I have a few spare AE dial centers, so that won't be an issue.

The Kellogg red bar (model 1000) is one of the most interesting phones I have seen.  It is really unlike anything else from that time period.


Larry
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: Jim Stettler on March 03, 2010, 01:54:22 PM
Nice buy Larry,
Now you need the wall version. The wall red bar uses the same base, but it has a wall housing. The wall redbar is one of my favorite wall phones.

Jim
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: Doug Rose on March 03, 2010, 02:06:25 PM
Larry....looks to be in outstanding condition. I always loved the design of this phone. A true deco classic. It looks like all you need is a retainer ring and a dial card and you have a great phone for small change. Nice find!!....Doug
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: LarryInMichigan on March 03, 2010, 02:24:44 PM
I have considered a wall version, but I have nowhere to put any more wall phones.  I don't really like the look of a wall phone lying flat on a display shelf.

I do have some spare AE dial center rings and cards, but a Kellogg card would look better, so I should try to get or print one of those.  I was reading earlier today that Kellogg made their own AE duplicate dials, so this hone may actually have a Kellogg-made dial.  Also, the number on the bottom indicates that this phone has a 16 2/3 Hz ringer.  I will have to see if it will ring well enough with a 20 Hz signal.

Larry
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: finlover on March 03, 2010, 05:29:08 PM
Larry, you rascal!  I was going to bid on this before work but got distracted.  What a steal at $16!  One change I would make is to switch to college ruled notebook paper for the number card... ;D
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: LarryInMichigan on March 03, 2010, 05:53:34 PM
Well, the seller is now contacting me to tell me that something internal is broken and asking me if I want a refund.  i am trying to understand what he is describing.

Larry
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: JorgeAmely on March 03, 2010, 06:11:51 PM
Larry:

What is the description of the "broken" item inside this phone?  ;) ;) ;)

All I can see wrong with it is the missing card holder ring + celluloid + number card, which is relatively easy to find on eBay.

PS: The other defect is shown in the picture of the cradle plane where the handset sits. Look to the left, lower corner and you can see the problem. Perhaps someone landed the handset too hard and chipped the corner away.
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: Doug Rose on March 03, 2010, 06:13:20 PM
Larry....for the phone in this wonderful condition, it is well worth the $28 and try to fix it after. Ask him if there is any damage to the bakelite itself before you commit. This is a great phone on the outside....Doug
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: Wallphone on March 03, 2010, 06:20:31 PM
Larry,
Ask the seller for a pic of the damage in question.
It could be that the seller didn't get the price that they expected.
I bought a wooden wall phone a few years ago at a great price.
The seller wrote and told me that he dropped the phone down the steps and automatically refunded my money. When I asked for pics, he got really belligerent. There wasn't much I could do except take the money. I watched his auctions for the next few months to see if the phone would show up again but it didn't.
Dougpav
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: LarryInMichigan on March 03, 2010, 07:26:24 PM
I am currently playing an e-mail guessing game with the seller trying to find out what is really broken.  I asked for a picture, but he did not send one.

Larry
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: LarryInMichigan on March 03, 2010, 07:31:43 PM
I just got a message from paypal that the seller refunded my money.  This might be a case of the seller being disappointed at the sale price and canceling the sale.

Larry
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: McHeath on March 03, 2010, 08:22:51 PM
Sounds fishy to me, I think you are probably on the right track with the "problem" with the phone.  16 dollars is a great buy, guessing the seller wanted more. 
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: Dan/Panther on March 03, 2010, 09:03:07 PM
That's what reserve is for.
D/P
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: LarryInMichigan on March 03, 2010, 09:04:55 PM
I normally don't like to think that people are dishonest, but it is sure looking that way here.  The seller provided confusing, contradictory descriptions of what was broken and would not send me a picture or call me to discuss it.  At least he promptly refunded my money.  I expect that this phone will reappear in a week or two with a starting bid of $30.

I am having the opposite problem with the seller of the Bulgarian phone that I bought last week who apparently will not refund my money after sending me a picture showing a large break in the phone.  He eventually offered me a different phone, but I replied that I just want a refund.  I sent him a slightly threatening message today stating that I will contact ebay if i do not get a refund within two more days.

Larry
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: foots on March 04, 2010, 03:45:38 AM
  I thought once you bid on an item you entered into a legally binding contract. If so, under the same contract the seller should be required to sell you the phone and not be able refund your money without your agreeing to it.
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: LarryInMichigan on March 04, 2010, 06:54:59 AM
foots,

I believe that you are correct.  I am afraid though, that if I demand that he send me the phone, he will drop it first to make sure that it is really broken.

Regarding the other broken phone, I did finally receive a refund from the seller in Bulgaria this morning.  I also received a bizarre message from him, in broken English, apparently asking me to forward another item which he, or someone else in Sofia, Bulgaria sold (200443987816) to a buyer in Wisconsin when it arrives.  Things are really looking strange lately.

Larry
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: Doug Rose on March 04, 2010, 08:34:45 AM
Larry....I have had my share of shady answers from sellers when, in my opinion, they did not make enough on the phone they were selling. Go to Paypal, tell them you want the phone you won.  Tell them the seller refunded your money and that's not what you wanted. Paypal always sides with the buyer. I would fight this, the bakelite shell and handset are worth the $28 alone.....Doug
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: LarryInMichigan on March 05, 2010, 09:52:57 AM
Yesterday, I made one last attempt to convince the seller to send me the phone.  He had told me that the wiring block had broken loose from the screws and flopped around inside the shell.  I told him that I still wanted it if it had no breaks on the outside other than the two small cracks on the cradle, and he sent me the following message this morning:

"sorry about that.,,i droped and broke it ,,so with my temper i made it good and broke,,cant relist it for now its a billion piece pile.sorry"


Larry
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: jeremylivin on March 05, 2010, 09:58:33 AM
Yeah that's a load of crap if you ask me.


>:(
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: finlover on March 05, 2010, 04:24:39 PM
Yep, I call B.S.  What a jerk! >:(
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: Wallphone on March 05, 2010, 05:12:45 PM
Tomorrow will be three days since the auction ended. See if you can leave appropriate feedback and knock his ass off that 100% pedestal.
Dougpav
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: jeremylivin on March 05, 2010, 07:48:11 PM
I would demand a picture of the pieces!
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: LarryInMichigan on March 06, 2010, 08:27:25 PM
I suspect that the seller is not all there anyway.  His messages are confused and full of misspellings, and the notebook paper in the dial center thing leads me to think that he is a bit off.  Anyway, i don't have the patience to deal with it now, especially since I have something much more urgent and enjoyable to do at the moment: income taxes.

Larry
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: Vern P on March 07, 2010, 02:00:02 AM
Over the years I have had more than a few of this kind of stories. I just let them play their game, as there are many more deals to make and many more phones to find.
Just my view.

Vern P

PS  I had a guy and his wife buy the house next to me. They were both off the wall BIG time.  The good part was they didn't stay long. But that is not a phnoe story.
Title: Re: I can't believe I won another Red Bar
Post by: Phonesrfun on March 07, 2010, 07:44:53 PM
Just so they did not buy the building in your back yard.  That is priceless.

-Bill